It's Coming

As it turns out, HOPE and CHANGE aren't the only things on the horizon. At long last, Chinese Democracy - the long-awaited new album from Guns N' Roses - is slated for release this coming Sunday.

If, like me, you're skeptical that this release can, after all this time, possibly live up to the standards of Guns N' Roses of old (and by "of old," I mean pre-Spaghetti Incident), I encourage you to check it out in advance. The whole thing is available for streaming, legally, right now through MySpace. I'm listening to it right now myself. I had no idea what to expect from this thing...but I'm blown away by what I've heard so far (I'm on song 8 out of 14). It's good, maybe even really good. I wanted to find out before I plunked down cash on something that may turn out to be nothing more than a curiosity - I mean, how often do you hear albums that were fifteen years in the making? Now I'll be able to track it down on Sunday with confidence that my money is being well spent.

So, sorry folks...it looks like the days of Chinese Democracy being nothing more than a punchline (and, I admit, I've used it as such myself frequently over the years) are over.

UPDATE: Now that I've heard the whole thing...WOW. The second half is even better than the first. I'd have to say, upon one listen, that this album surpasses "good" and flies straight into the rarefied realm of "awesome." It's the kind of music that makes me want to get in the car, roll down the windows, crank up the stereo, and drive real fast (in someone else's car, of course...my Taurus just doesn't fit into this mental picture).